There was no need to guess. This golden energy had to be the bloodline of strength hidden within the Soul Ring: the Golden Bloodline!
A glimpse of one spot revealed the whole leopard. If even the Soul Ring carried a trace of the Golden Bloodline, that was enough to show-
The Golden Bloodline contained within the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon's six-meter corpse had to be considerable.
And so, Xu Zi actively communicated with his Purple Sun Martial Soul, drawing out the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon's feedback once again...
The next instant, Xu Zi straightened his back. A powerful hot current coursed through his spine, making him unconsciously sit perfectly upright.
This was the feedback from his Martial Soul's second Soul Skill-the bodily essence of the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon.
As he enjoyed this essence, he felt his cultivation, which had only just stopped advancing, surge again under the nourishment of his Martial Soul's feedback.
His body received this energy at a rate even more exhilarating than when he absorbed the Soul Ring.
After all, the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon had digested it, and the Power of Destruction had purged its impurities. It needed none of the slow conversion involved in absorbing a Soul Ring; it only had to merge directly into his body.
In the blink of an eye, Xu Zi advanced another level, becoming a level 35 Soul Elder.
Yet the feedback continued. Not even a tenth of it had been consumed.
That was because this pure energy did more than nourish his Soul Power cultivation. Over half of it went toward nourishing his body.
His Soul Power cultivation and physique improved together, without the pain he had imagined.
Only a gentle warmth and coolness enveloped him. Put plainly, it was a pleasure.
Nourished by this feedback, Xu Zi even wondered in a daze whether he had taken the Dragon Scale Fruit and drunk the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue incorrectly before, given that self-immolating agony and heart-scorching lust.
But he quickly dismissed that thought.
This was an effect produced by his second Soul Skill and had little to do with how he consumed things.
Purple Dragon Devours the Sun closely resembled a skill exclusive to Evil Soul Masters and fallen ones, but with one difference: it produced no side effects whatsoever.
As for the Evil Soul Masters and even evil Douluos on the Sun Moon Continent ten thousand years later, the reason their cultivation soared early on but stagnated later was precisely that they had devoured and forcibly assimilated too many impurities from Soul Masters and Soul Beasts.
This caused impure Soul Power, blocked meridians, and other problems, leaving their cultivation gradually stagnating as they aged.
In this respect, Purple Dragon Devours the Sun resembled Devouring Golden Threads.
The only difference was that after Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor Soul Skill, "Devouring Golden Threads," sucked out Soul Power, he could share it with others at will, though it had great difficulty devouring flesh.
"Purple Dragon Devours the Sun," meanwhile, could not share its gains, but it could use Martial Soul Materialization to swallow Soul Masters and Soul Beasts, bodies and all, then use the Power of Destruction to grind away impurities, making the most of its spoils.
Outside the doors, windows, and balcony, the golden sunlight gradually turned orange-red, heralding the approach of evening.
Before that, however, Xu Zi advanced another level from level 35, becoming a level 36 Soul Elder.
By now, less than a fifth of the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon essence Xu Zi had stored in his Purple Sun remained.
Such rapid advancement truly could leave someone entranced.
At this moment, Xu Zi seemed to understand a little why people in later generations fell into evil so easily.
Aside from the broader circumstances, the most direct reason was-strength simply came too quickly.
Simply seize and plunder, then make it part of oneself.
Viewed this way, the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon was better suited to being an evil Martial Soul than Dark Blue Silver Grass.
Moreover, the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon devoured and plundered everything cleanly. It would never leave its host outwardly carrying that chaotic, filthy presence unique to fallen ones and Evil Soul Masters.
Suddenly, in the fading light of sunset, another ripple of Soul Power spread.
Xu Zi had completely absorbed the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon's essence, and his Soul Power cultivation rose another level for the sixth time, making him a level 37 Soul Elder.
Nourished by the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon's Soul Ring and flesh, Xu Zi had jumped four levels and then another three within a single day.
Seven levels in half a day-this was a sight beyond the imagination of anyone in this era.
And that was only the increase in his Soul Power cultivation.
As for physical strength, nourished by the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon's essence, his body had constantly developed toward that of a defense-type Soul Master over this half-day:
His muscles grew thicker, his bones tougher, and even his skin more elastic.
At this moment, as the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon's essence merged completely into him, Xu Zi could clearly sense tiny traces of the Golden Bloodline appearing inside his body like strands of hair.
The Golden Bloodline symbolized a supremely powerful physique with both offense and defense. The clearest example was the Golden Dragon King's innate Ultimate Strength and nigh-indestructible body.
Nor was the Golden Bloodline exclusive to dragons, as shown by the Golden Behemoth that appeared in later generations, and even the Golden-Winged Great Peng Tang San encountered after being reborn again.
Together with the trace he had gained from absorbing the Soul Ring, these wisps of Golden Bloodline became soft golden threads, all merging into Xu Zi's limbs and meridians.
Had an observer been present, they could even have seen wisps of golden luster flickering beneath the texture of Xu Zi's skin with the naked eye.
Nourished by the Golden Bloodline, Xu Zi's fifteen-year-old body gained patches of firm, powerful muscle, stepping straight into young adulthood, as though he had grown an inch taller.
In an instant, tremendous strength sprang forth from nothing!
Xu Zi abruptly stood, and muffled thunder immediately rumbled inside him.
That was "strength" surging and churning through his body.
Raising both arms above his head, Xu Zi watched the pale gold flowing beneath his skin, between his muscles, and let out a long breath:
"Hooo-"
"A top-tier Soul Beast with both offense and defense really does feel-wonderful..."
At this point, he could be said to have completely "refined" the entire six-meter Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon into his body.
His arms swept down with a whoosh, both elbows braced symmetrically beside his waist, and a burst of scorching purple radiance erupted from within him!
In an instant, the Purple Sun rose. Dazzling pieces of purple crystal descended over his body, forming light dragon-scale armor across his chest, back, shoulders, fists, outer hips, and joints.
There was none of the dull pain of powerful force coursing through him, nor even half a second's delay.
He no longer feared the influx of the Power of Destruction. One could imagine just how strong Xu Zi's physique had become under the dual nourishment of the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon's Soul Ring and body.
Mighty power flowed ceaselessly through every limb and bone, surging throughout his body and stirring waves of destruction that spread outside him, raising a gust through his lodgings.
"Shhh, shhh..."
White dust fell from the ceiling.
Xu Zi's vibrations had shaken it loose, but the underlying cause lay in late morning, when he had battered the Dark Golden Crocodile Dragon to death on the rooftop. The Power of Destruction had repeatedly passed through flesh and bone, producing aftershocks that cracked the building's structure, ultimately causing this white dust to fall.
The falling dust approached him, only to be utterly destroyed by the blazing purple radiance.
His bright purple slit pupils shifted from the three rings beside his feet to his fists, covered in angular purple crystal. Feeling the Power of Destruction flowing freely through his limbs without harming muscle or bone, Xu Zi could not help smiling. "My Martial Soul Possession finally..."
"Has no time limit."
Strictly speaking, though, there was still a time limit. It was simply a matter of exhausting his Soul Power, sustaining excessive injuries, or similar causes.
Suddenly-
A muffled thud rang out.
It was Xu Zi. Wielding the Power of Destruction, he swung a fist back into his own chest!
The purple crystal dragon scales cracked on both sides. His blood roiling, Xu Zi coughed and gasped, then stared at the night outside the window and murmured, "As expected."
"Has my physique already reached the strength of a defense-type Soul Ancestor's...?"
That blow had been a test of his body's defensive strength.
Against someone completely unguarded, the power of that punch would have been enough to blast a hole clean through a high-level Soul Ancestor's body!
This also indirectly proved that Xu Zi's current physique had reached the very pinnacle of the Soul Ancestor level.
His gaze sharpened. Looking at the scenery outside and the now completely dark sky, he declared with soaring ambition, "Jin Yu, don't disappoint me tomorrow."
He clenched his right hand toward the skyline outside. With a whump, the air rushed to escape Xu Zi's grasp.
Having voiced his lofty ambition, Xu Zi withdrew his three Soul Rings. His Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon possession and the Purple Sun behind him vanished without a trace.
He had only just made to take a step when a series of cracks and pops abruptly sounded inside Xu Zi.
At the same time, after his Martial Soul Possession ended, a layer of pale gold gradually faded beneath the skin before his eyes.
"Hmm?" Xu Zi raised his brows and lifted his wrist. His purple pupils lit up as he carefully examined the wisps of pale golden thread beneath it.
"The Golden Bloodline strengthening my body?"
He saw through its nature at a glance, then sighed. "Too thin. In the end, it was only an ordinary Golden Crocodile, not a crocodile king with a powerful Golden Bloodline."
After all, the Golden Bloodline was linked to Ultimate Strength.
Though Ultimate Strength was not as outrageous in might as the Power of Destruction, it was still an innate power of the Dragon God's flesh. Its principle was this: taking basic strength to its ultimate limit, with an unending supply.
"Basic" here meant fundamental strength without destructive properties-strength alone.
But this also set Xu Zi's imagination wandering. If the Power of Destruction is basic strength extended to possess destructive properties, then is it possible...
Since basic strength can be cultivated to its ultimate limit to become Ultimate Strength, could the Power of Destruction, being strength as well, also reach that ultimate realm?
The moment this thought emerged, a specific term sprang into his mind: Ultimate Power of Destruction.
Xu Zi immediately startled himself.
After all, with Ultimate Strength, the Golden Dragon King could forge an innately supreme body.
Then what sort of physique could the Ultimate Power of Destruction cultivate?
He dared not indulge in such extravagant dreams.
Xu Zi was not one to reach beyond his grasp, either. Having cultivated "bitterly" for an entire day, his immediate priority was to head out and "forage for supper."
He walked along a path through Spirit Hall Academy, fluorescent yellow streetlamps lining both sides.
Among the shadowy trees beside the road were quite a few couples linking arms and holding hands.
Fortunately, Xu Zi had been diligent that morning and familiarized himself with the academy's layout. With hardly any detours, he found the food street he had visited.
Night had just fallen. The street was festooned with lights and decorations, its crowds flowing like clouds, making it the very centerpiece of Spirit Hall Academy's nightlife.
Following his memory as he walked, Xu Zi quickly found the establishment where he had eaten that morning.
One thing worth mentioning was that his futuristic silver attire, coupled with his sharply defined, foreign-looking face, had earned him quite a few backward glances from young men and women along the way.
In any case, his identity as a visitor from another continent would spread through the academy and even the continent sooner or later. There was no need to conceal his movements; he could simply behave as casually as usual.
Xu Zi had barely sat down at a table near the entrance-he had only just ordered, and his late-night meal had yet to arrive-when the sudden sound of beating wind came from above outside.
"Whoom-"
A woman draped in red silk descended from the sky and landed outside the entrance, prompting the people in the street to clear a semicircle around her.
The red-clad woman pushed the door open and walked straight in. Her eyes swept across the room and immediately fixed on a target, then she strode over.
She seemed to have come specifically to find Xu Zi.
Familiar from the outset, she pulled out the chair opposite Xu Zi and sat down.
At this distance, Xu Zi could clearly see her mature figure and even smell the scent of "scorched feathers" on her.
At first, he had thought this red-clad woman was some female instructor at the academy.
Until sensing her presence gave him the illusion of gazing up at a towering mountain...
"May I ask-?" Xu Zi had only just begun probing when she interrupted him.
Leaning back and lifting her chin, the red-clad woman introduced herself. "My name is Ling Yuan."
"You weren't at your lodgings. I had to ask around along the way to find you."
Xu Zi's eyes widened considerably. Clearly, he had guessed her identity:
Spirit Hall's youngest Titled Douluo, titled "Spirit Kite," whose Martial Soul was the Blazing Spirit Kite.
She was close to the Pope's faction and ultimately died a miserable death under the combined attack of the two kings of the forest.
Xu Zi extended a circle of his will, sensed the Soul Power fluctuations around her, and immediately formed an assessment: her cultivation was formidable, but her presence was slightly unstable. She had probably only recently broken through the ninth-ring bottleneck.
Seeing Xu Zi remain silent for three seconds, Ling Yuan directly stated her purpose-
"His Holiness the Pope heard that you challenged the Jin Family's young master to a wagered fight tomorrow morning, with the 'Soul Core Method' as the stake. Is that right?"
Ling Yuan lifted her chin and asked, "Is that true?"
"Yes." Xu Zi nodded without denying it.
His honesty left Ling Yuan taken aback for half a second. She had interrogated plenty of people who had done wrong before, and most would offer sophistry to justify their actions when faced with her intimidation.
Ling Yuan immediately continued, "His Holiness also asked whether you truly intend to use this wagered fight to hand the Soul Core Method over to Spirit Hall's Worshipper Faction for free."
"No." Xu Zi shook his head in denial.
"Then why did you challenge Jin Yu?" Now Ling Yuan Douluo was somewhat puzzled.
She could not resist reminding him, "As far as I know, your Soul Power cultivation is nineteen levels below Jin Yu's, and the Golden Crocodile is also a top-tier Beast Martial Soul. Fighting him in the Soul Fighting plaza, your chances of winning are essentially... zero."
"No." Xu Zi calmly shook his head. "I think my chances are very good."
He did not want to argue over something he was certain of. Besides, Ling Yuan Douluo's cultivation far exceeded his, and Xu Zi could not demonstrate his strength to her with a move or two in such a short time.
So he could only respond calmly and wait for Ling Yuan to take the initiative to test him.
Just as the Heaven Dou Royal Three Education Committee Members had tested Tang San.
Things went as expected. Ling Yuan Douluo first folded her arms across her chest and stared at him silently for several seconds, then suddenly extended a slender index finger and released a stream of blazing Soul Power.
It took the form of a heavy wave, spreading toward Xu Zi with a surge of heat before bearing down as invisible pressure.
As Ling Yuan adjusted her Soul Power output, she explained, "Here, we call this Soul Pressure. It isn't particularly damaging, but only a Soul Ancestor can withstand the intensity I'm releasing. Feel the difference for yourself."